Babbitt-metal product and process of making same



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS SAFER-Y, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BABBITT-METAL PRODUCT AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern lie it known that 1, Louis Sarnur, citizen ofthe United States of America. residing at 1370 (arroll St, Brooklyn, Y.in the county of Kings and State of e\\' York, have invented certain nenand useful lni prorelnenls in lmbbitt hletal lrodurts and Processes ofMaking Same. of which the followinp is a specification.

The pieseul imention rrlates to putting up lmbbitt metal in a novelform, whereby its usefulness is considerably enhanced, and the inventionis applicable to the treatment of various kinds of babbitt. Babbittmetal is usually put up and sold in the form of bars of convenient size,and when the same is to be employed by the consumer, one or more of thebars are placed in a pot and heated until the same melts, after which itis cast into the desired form; for example, it is cast into a casing ofa journal box. During the time that the Babbitt metal is held in the poton a molten condition. it has a tendency to absorb more or less oxy genfrom the air, which oxidizes some of the metals present in the babbittand, at any rate, the absorption of oxygen by the molten babbitt isfound to substantially deteriorate its properties and the properties ofthe resulting casting. In accordance with the present invention, it hasbeen found that the absorption of oxygen can be reduced. to a. greatextent, if the bars of Babbitt metal after cooling are plated with ametal which has a much higher melting point than the babbitt and whichdoes not readily melt, and which is not readily taken up by the moltenbabbitt, but which forms a layer of unmelted metal on the top of thelayer of molten babbitt.

As exam les of metals capable of producing the desired result, nickeland copper are mentioned as being particularly suitable. These metalscan readily be applied to the bars of babbitt by an ordinaryeleetro-plating process, and the coating of the protective metal on thebars of metal may be quite thin. say. about one-thousandth of an inch inthickness.

\Vhile electro-deposition or electro-plating of copper and nickel uponvarious base metals has been known for a long time, it has not beenheretofore recognized that Babbitt metal could be improved and itsusefulness substantially enhanced by elec- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

Application filed May 21, 1920. Serial No. 383,315.

tro-plating or otherwise applyinp a thin coating of such metals to thesurface of the bars of babbitt.

\Vithont limiting the invention thereto, it is stated for the purpose ofillustration, that the coating of a babbitt composed of 7- lead, 15';antimony. I l, tin. with an electroplating of copper. of about .lHl inchthi kness has giwn good result \lso the similar application of ni kelhas fl'l lll good results, However, a rtuitllltfl ub tantially less thanon inch in llllllfll has been found to give satisfactory l Fiillw Acoating that is .001 inch in thichnrss has been found to give excellentresults Hi all tests.

The nature of the metal that forms the thin film or coatin; is notwithout importance. The metal must be such as will have no deleteriouseffect upon the bearing qualities of the habbitt. Any metal which wouldhave a substantially deleterious effect upon the'bahbitt is excludedfrom emisideration in connection with this invention. (Topper and nickelhave been found best adapted for use in forming the coating on the barof Babbitt metal.

The action of the film or coating of copper (or like metal) may bedescribed as follows: The Babbitt metal is generally in the form ofsmall flat bars or slabs which weigh approximately five pounds. Thecoating or film that is deposited on the fiat bar by electro-platingcovers the surface of the bar but forms no part of the Babbitt metalalloy. As a rule, the bars are not broken into pieces before being putin the melting-pot, unless the. metahworker does not wish to melt downas much as five pounds of Babbitt metal; but the bars are thrown intothe melting-pot whole. Since the Babbitt metal fuses at a much lowertemperature than the metal of the electroplated film or coating, thiscoating remains unfused and floats upon the surface of the moltenBabbitt metal. which is of high specific gravity due. to its content oflead. The metal of the electro-plated coating is tough from which itresults that the latter does not break up but remains intact and isborne on the surface. of the molten Babbitt metal in much the samemanner as waxed paper rests upon the surface of a vessel of water.Naturally, if there is considerable or violent disturbance of the moltenmixture, the tough film of copper may become disintegrated. Even thoughthe area of the surface of the molten mixture may become, due to theexpansion of the Babbitt metal as heat is ap lied thereto, greater thanthe area of the fi m or plating, yet sufficient of the surface of themolten mixture is covered to protect the Babbitt-metal ingredients in avery substantial manner from oxidation and the mixture fromdeterioration or lowering in quality due thereto. This invention isparticularly useful in connection with leadbased babbitts or babbittsthe tin content of which is relatively small. Tin gives tensile strengthto Babbitt metal and it is likely to become oxidized; and, where the tincontent is small, oxidation thereof even to the extent of a smallproportion of the whole results in a serious lowering of the quality ofthe Babbitt metal. Many metal-workers melt down their babbitts withoutusing a thermometer and the result is an overheating of the mixture; andthe film or plating will prove particularly effective in preventing aloss of the tin content due to oxidation,

when such overheating is permitted to occur.

I claim:

1. The process of protecting Babbitt metal from oxidation while beinmelted, which consists in coating the Babbitt metal, prior to meltingthe same, with a thin film of another metal which is without injuriousaction on the bearing qualities of the Babbitt metal and which has amelting point that is substantially higher than that of the Babbittmetal.

2. Babbitt metal coated with a thin film of another metal which iswithout injurious action on the bearing qualities of the Babbitt metaland which has a melting point that is substantially higher than that ofthe Babbitt metal which it coats.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the resence of twowitnesses.

L UIS SAPERY. [n s.] Witnesses A. HOYT LEVY, PETER J. KIERNAN.

